More cats and dogs now suffer from food intolerances and allergies, a leading pet insurer claims.

MORE TH>N pet insurance says over half of vets are seeing diet-related pet illnesses with one in ten cats and dogs now being diagnosed with food intolerances.

The majority are allergic to common staples within their diet - beef, pork, chicken, milk, fish and soy. Wheat mixed into biscuits can also cause problems.

But pet food manufacturers do not have to label what actually goes into the tins, using loose terms including 'meat by-products' and 'cereal or animal derivatives'

MORE TH>N is now calling for manufacturers to use better labelling to help pet owners stop their pet from suffering from food intolerances.

Sophie de Pelet, MORE TH>N’s veterinary adviser, said that: "We all like to treat our pets, but feeding them snacks and titbits can also be at the root of dietary intolerance in affected animals."

"Food allergy and intolerance symptoms that pets suffer from are very similar to those seen in humans, for example, eczema, dermatitis, vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy, all of which can be difficult to attribute to diet alone as this can be caused by so many other disease processes," she added.

It can cost over £200 to get a pet tested for food intolerances but most insurers will cover the cost.